UVW Training step 3
Download the file UVW_man.max and open in Max. (Save it to your computer.) This is a low poly model intentionally simplified for us to practice working with UVW Unwrap.
To put the process into perspective, assume it takes a full work day to unwrap a model. The actual artwork starts after the unwrapping is done.
Overview of workflow The basic steps are: Planar map various parts of at least half the model. Move and scale them into position so checkers are square and the same size. Weld the parts to minimize to only strategically placed seams. Collapse Unwrap UVW. Arrange all the UVWs within the workspace Remove half the model. Apply symmetry and collapse. Now all UVs are done on both sides. Export UVW map template. Paint in Photoshop to correspond to template. Apply a flattened version of the art file to the model as a diffuse map.
Checker map Apply checker map. Tile 48, 48. Make sure show in viewport is on.
Unwrap UVW with mostly planar mapping Apply Unwrap UVW.
Select these faces and planar map with best align.
Turn off Planar button. If you don't turn off the yellow button, the faces will be frozen in Max 8.
Move
the UVWs out of the box area and scale down.
Same thing on one side:
Planar best align top of arm:
Scale and rotate:
Some tips using the freeform tool: Shift key on scale or move constrains to up/down, side to side ... Control key retains proportions on scaling.
Same process on this part:
Planar best align front of arm
Rotate and scale
Do this part separately
Position it here
Back of arm is next ...
Hit this button if you don’t want to preview the map in the UVW Editor
Under the arm is next
And now another small piece under the arm
Rotate, scale, and move into approximate position ... the arm planar mapping is done
Planar map back
Planar map crotch
Planar map inner leg
Welding parts and minimizing seams
Select entire foot [you can turn off ignore backfacing]
This we will do a little different, to save time. Inside the UVW Editor, go Mapping/Normal mapping ...
Pick box mapping
Move the newly mapped faces off the box area and you will see this:
Scale down with the control key and position as a group:
Use the same method for the hands ...
Scale with control key and position near arms
Select the head faces Tip – you can select just the top of the head and use the plus sign to expand the selection down to the neck
Scale with control key and move
The neck we will vary just a little ... this time select
OK -- we have mapped over half the body. you should have something that looks like this. The large box area to the right are unmapped parts of the body.
Welding parts
Go to vertex mode
Turn on show vertex connections
Select a vertex at the bottom of the leg. The number is the other vertex we will be welding to. [There are other vertices that also can be welded to this one, but we are ignoring them.]
The entire side of the leg can be welded
At face level, move and rotate the leg to split the difference between the distances the weld process will make vertices move
Go to options and set the weld threshold to 1.0. You can change this as needed.
Right click weld, one pair at a tim e..
Work your way up the leg.
The right half of the body we don’t need for now. We will mirror it later.
We will use a new tool to get it out of our way.
Select the right half and go right click break.
Move it to our junk area inside the box region.
On the back of the model, use right click break to detach the legs
Break allows you to move away a section
Clicking around shows us what goes where.
Select, break, and move aside what we don’t need
Select and move into position what we want to weld
Switch to vertex mode and weld numerically matched pairs
Let’s separate the leg from the torso. right click break the leg.
After confirming numeric matches at the vertex level to locate connecting parts, switch to face level and move/rotate another part of the leg. Switch to vertex again and weld.
The leg is all in one piece now, but the seam is in the wrong place. I want it in the middle of the back.
Break these faces, move to the other side, and re-weld, using the method you have learned.
Now the seam is where we want it, at the back of the leg
Follow the same exact process for the arm.
Tips – At any level you can turn on select element to select and entire shape.
You will also make small resizes as you go. Always keep the Control key down.
You can use freeform mode, or, right click and use scale, rotate, and move.
Let’s keep to doing major areas first. Let’s weld the back and the side of the torso.
Tip – if you get into a situation where weld doesn't’t work, increase the weld threshold ...
Move the arm pit part into approximate position ...
Let’s use a new tool to attach ... select the torso edges ...
Go stitch selected ...
... and the armpit part jumps into position
Also use stitch selected here
Use break to detach this piece from the arm
BAck to the torso, use stitch select at edge level
Check now and again that none of your checkers are getting too distorted,
Some work on the head ... move corresponding parts together ... continue to work on the character’s right side ...
Tip – use these 90 degree rotation buttons ...
Tip – use target weld when you want to move one vertex to another, instead of having them both move:
We will want a seam at the back of the head, so break here:
Verify vertex numeric connections and weld
Weld or stitch selected back of neck into place
We can break and set aside any part on the character’s left side. This show the part we are keeping.
Break the halves of the crotch
Stitch selected from the leg edge to make the crotch part jump into position.
Tip – when you select an edge, the related edges turn blue.
Using break and stitch selected, attach the neck faces to the head
Break and move into your “garbage” area anything from the character’s left side
Keep this side
Work with the shoes to minimize the seams, or place them at strategic positions, like where the sole meets the leather.
I detached the thin “sock” faces to join them with the bottom of the pants
Stitch selected these parts
I moved around some more faces using break and stitch selected to minimize and strategiize seams ... half the battle is to do things that make sense to you.
Hands are the same game as the feet [at least here with no fingers] ...
Tip – you can stitch selected with more than one edge.
Select all your character’s right side faces and make sure you have addressed them all, and nothing is missing.
Take some time and look at the green lines in the viewport ... your seams ... and make sure you like them.
Note – on our practice model, there are limited number of vertices, so we are not taking the effort of flatten out the face and head the usual way, and are accepting a couple of seams here and there.
Move all your “garbage” to the right of the screen, and position your UVs in the box. You will have to scale them always together. don’t use any of the short cut tools in max to do this, do it by hand so you retain your familiarity and orientation with the various shapes. This will help when you get to painting.
As a last check, do this and if anything becomes selected, you will need to fix it ...
Re-mirror the model and UVs.
Yes or Hold Yes is fine
Select and delete half your model.
EXIT SUBOBJECT LEVEL
Apply symmetry – you might need to select flip
Collapse all, hold/yes again.
Apply Unwrap UVW again ... you will see now both sides are mapped:
Open the UV editor ... go to face level and pick select element
Pick an object, for example, the leg ...
If you move it you will now see there are 2. So – don’t move anything.
Here’s our man, completely unwrapped.
Export the UV template Now we have to export the UVs we made so we can match the shapes in Photoshop.
Keep the size setting at the top 1024x1024 for this exercise. Hit the render UV template button.
Click the save icon and save in jpeg format
Photoshop We’ll address the actual art-making in another tutorial. For now, this is an overview on the PSD workflow only, not the art itself.
Open your jpeg in PSD.
Save as a PSD file with the SAME NAME.
Double click the layer to unlock it.
Change the blend mode to difference.
Lock that layer. [You can name it template if you want]
Make a new layer underneath that layer.
Do all your art below the template layer. You will be able to see through the template layer.
Make as many layers as you want.
When you want to see the result in max, SAVE AS the same name but as a high quality jpeg.
Keep the psd file as the source file with layers you work in. the jpeg [which is automatically flattened] is for use with max.
Make a map in max using this jpeg in the diffuse slot. remember to show map in viewport.
Make changes as you need to in the PSD file, and keep overwriting this jpeg, and max will update [might take a second or so.]
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